Within the framework of the REFLECTION on the November 15th PinchukArtCentre presented a lecture delivered by Japanese art-critic and curator Akiko Miki about development of the contemporary art of Japan during last decade and Takashi Murakami influence on the works of young generation of Japanese artists.
At present Akiko Miki is a chief curator of the center for contemporary art Palais de Tokyo (Paris), and curator of Mori Museum (Tokyo). She organized a number of important exhibitions presenting the culture and arts of Japan. In 2006 Akiko Miki was the co-curator of the exhibition of Japanese photographer Araki, one of the best-known photographers of the present that took place in Barbican Art Gallery (London).
Akiko has told about the revival of interest in the origins of Japanese culture among the young generation of artists and demonstrated selected photographs of their works. She noted that «Japan was always located in a specific triangle of the influence of Japanese, Euro-American and Asian cultures. After the influence of the European modernism of the 30th and domination of American culture in the 60th in the 90th Japanese artists turned again to the national and Asian culture». In her opinion, Takashi Murakami is one of those Japanese artists, who tried to break the hegemony of Euro-American influence existed up to now. An entire school of Murakami and his followers was formed in contemporary Japanese art, thanks to whom such attributes of subculture as anime, manga and video games gradually become a part of main stream.
The videos of the following young Japanese artists were presented during the lecture: a.o. Koki Tanaka, Zon Ito and Ryoko Aoki, Hiraki Sawa, Meiwa Denki and Aya Tanako. The presentation was concluded by demonstration of the video created by Takashi Murakami — beautiful, charming anime about adventures of a small girl in the surprising fairytale space of the fashion-brands world. Perhaps, just in this way Takashi Murakami conceived the Japanese «Alice in Wonderland».
Akiko Miki was agreeably surprised by high interest in the young Japanese artists from the side of Ukrainians. After lecture and visit of the exhibition Reflection, at which are also represented last works by Takashi Murakami, Akiko expressed the opinion that «PinchukArtCentre is an important point of intersection of cultures and generations and I hope that in the future the visitors of art-center can learn more about contemporary art of Japan».
